New warnings over social networking identity fraud threat

Posted in 'Identity Theft' by Richard Catlin

07 May 2010

Next time you get a friend request from someone you can’t quite place on Facebook, think twice before blindly pressing the ‘confirm’ button. Whilst it might mean occasionally offending a long-lost primary school friend, it’ll also improve your chances of staying safe from identity fraud.

Investigators in the USA are warning that millions of hacked and stolen Facebook accounts have been found for sale on black market websites, with fears that they will be used in criminal activity including phishing and identity theft.

The news comes shortly after Facebook’s controversial changes to its privacy settings, where potentially sensitive information could be disclosed to complete strangers. Facebook claims that it has introduced extra security measures which can spot fake accounts and attempts to defraud, but the warning to remain vigilant remains valid.

Armed with just a few details – and many people are far too liberal with the amount of personal information they are prepared to put on their profile – fraudsters could potentially steal an identity or hack passwords.

Identity theft increased 25% in 2009 compared to the previous 12 months.

You can make sure you’re taking every step you can to stay protected against identity thieves by using our free Identity Theft Check Service. It’ll highlight any areas of your lifestyle or habits that might leave you vulnerable, and give you advice on what you should do to beat the fraudsters.

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